A 17-year-old Italian student was conditionally discharged for one year after he pleaded guilty to causing a bomb scare at the Malta International Airport yesterday morning.

The youth, whose name cannot be published following a court order, was at the airport on his way back to Italy when he claimed he had a bomb in his luggage.

He apologised to the court, presided over by magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona, and said that it was a joke and that he did not realise that his actions would have such serious consequences.

Magistrate Micallef Trigona told him that he had created a lot of necessary worry for many people and that “if you did this elsewhere they would have thrown away the key.”

Following his guilty plea, magistrate Micallef Trigona conditionally discharged the youth for the period of one year.

Police inspector Edel Mary Camilleri prosecuted while Dr Franco Debono and Dr Charmaine Cherret appeared for the youth.